Day of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca, Mexico, are more serious than Halloween. Conley went a few years ago and was taken with the cemetery tours, altar competitions and special foods. Art Gimbel, Fest300.com

'It's an alternative version of Halloween. It's much more spiritual and artful, and there's a very strong element of reconnecting with those who are no longer living,' Conley says. Art Gimbel, Fest300.com